Cigars of the Pharaoh: Meaning of "And the glass is still falling"?

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	Cigars of the Pharaoh: Meaning of "And the glass is still falling"?

	paulcrompton Member	#1 · Posted: 9 Nov 2004 10:42
		In the Joy Street-Little Brown version page12, panel 8: Allan says "And the glass is still falling" in the middle of a sentence. It is raining at the time and the picture shows water falling down the glass, but surely no-one outside a funny farm would say that?

	Big Ren Member	#2 · Posted: 9 Nov 2004 16:24
		As far as I know glass is another word for barometer, so he meant the pressure was still falling.

	Harrock n roll Moderator	#3 · Posted: 9 Nov 2004 16:52
		I always thought he meant the rain (in Cigars, no?) but Big Ren could be right. I'd also point out to Paul that the US Little-Brown editions are the same translation as the UK Methuen/Egmont - which does have some curious Britishisms.

	jock123 Moderator	#4 · Posted: 9 Nov 2004 23:20
		I'm sure Ren is right; glass is here a word for a barometer, and is still used by sailors. I've done a search on Google for examples, and came up with the following words of wisdom here: The Barometer Long foretold, long last, Short notice, soon past, Quick rise after low, Sure sign of stronger blow. When the glass falls low, Prepare for a blow; When it slowly rises high, Lofty canvas you may fly. At sea with low and falling glass Soundly sleeps a careless ass, Only when it's high and rising Truly rests a careful wise one. Before embarking on your solo circumnavigation of the globe, I'll add their words of warning "Although there is a considerable degree of truth in them, these rhymes are not infallible and you should use them with caution".

	Richard UK Correspondent	#5 · Posted: 9 Nov 2004 23:47
		And in the French edition, Allan says, "Fichu temps! Et le baromètre qui descend encore." So it does indeed refer to the barometer.

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	Cigars of the Pharaoh: Meaning of "And the glass is still falling"?